MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Cheese Originals today announces a stunning line-up of dairy farm and creamery tours for the Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, offering attendees the opportunity to tour some of the state’s finest artisan and farmstead creameries.
The Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival is set for Nov. 4 & 5 at the Monona Terrace in downtown Madison. The event draws more than 1,000 cheese lovers from around the country, all of whom descend on Madison for a weekend of tours, seminars, dinners and the popular Meet the Cheesemaker Evening Gala.
Tickets for all events go on sale in September and sell out early, so attendees should make plans now to attend. Each tour, set for Friday, Nov. 4, is limited to 15 participants, includes air-conditioned motor coaches, specially-arranged lunches and tastings at each stop. Tours return to Madison by 5 p.m. Tickets range from $105-125 per person. Tours include:
• Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Craft Beer Tour
Leave Madison at 8 a.m. for a personal cheddar making experience at Roelli Cheese in Shullsburg. You’ll arrive in time to help with the cheddaring process and eat fresh cheese curds warm, right out of the vat. Then motor to famous Baumgartner's Tavern in downtown Monroe for a hearty lunch of cheese sandwiches and local beer – the brave at heart can even try Limburger on Rye! In the afternoon, enjoy another cheese tour and tasting at Emmi Roth USA, as well as a beer tasting at New Glarus Brewing Company, home to Spotted Cow.
• Spring Green Cheese, Dairy Farm & Taliesin Tour
This tour is a perfect way to showcase America's Dairyland to out-of-town guests. Leave Madison at 8 a.m. and motor to Plain, Wis., for a private tour and tasting at Cedar Grove Cheese. Afterward, take a 2-hour guided exterior tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Chapel, Hillside Home School, Romeo and Juliet Windmill, Tan-y-deri House, Midway Farm, and Taliesin. After lunch at the fabulous General Store in Spring Green, take a walking tour at Otter Creek Organic Dairy Farm for a close-up view of a Wisconsin dairy cow. Moo.
• Wisconsin Classic Cheese, Goat Dairy & Ice Cream Tour
This tour highlights the best of Wisconsin dairy. Leave Madison at 8 a.m. and head to Theresa, Wis., where third generation cheesemaker Joe Widmer will give a personal tour of his historic Widmer's Cheese Cellars. Taste two of Wisconsin's most classic cheeses: Brick and Colby. Afterward, head north for a private tour and family farm lunch at LaClare Farm, goat dairy and home to Evalon, the 2011 U.S. Champion Cheese. In the afternoon, stop for farmstead ice cream at award-winning Kelley Country Creamery and nap on a full stomach on the bus ride back to Madison.
Additional festival events include:
- Friday Evening Meet the Cheesemaker Gala: Shake hands and talk shop with 35 Wisconsin rock star cheesemakers. Sample 150 original cheeses, network with foodies and enjoy your favorite wine or microbrew. This year, Metcalfe’s Market will offer hundreds of cheeses on-site for sale. Tickets $29.
- Saturday Seminars: Choose from a line-up of eight educational and tasting seminars. Enjoy wine, beer, rum, & cheese pairings. Discover a new era of Wisconsin Cheddar and meet your favorite farmstead cheesemaker. You’ll be a cheese geek by the end of the day. Tickets range from $20 – $35 per seminar.
- Saturday Night Artisan Cheesemaker Dinners: Experience a culinary sensation at one of 10 participating Madison Originals restaurants. Each chef will partner with a local cheesemaker and host a one-of-a-kind three-course dinner. You’ll join the featured cheesemaker at a private table for 12. Tickets: $75.
Tickets for the Nov. 4-5 events go on sale to members of Wisconsin Cheese Originals on Sept. 12, with remaining tickets available to the public one week later. All events will sell out. Want to make sure you get the tickets you want? Join Wisconsin Cheese Originals now for $35 and you'll also be invited to similar events year-round. Visit www.wicheesefest.com to learn more.
Wisconsin Cheese Originals wishes to thank all sponsors of the Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, including Gold-Level sponsors Klondike Cheese, World Import Distributors, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board; Silver-Level sponsors BelGioioso Cheese, Dairy Business Innovation Center, Emmi Roth USA, Fromagination, Organic Valley, Uplands Cheese; and Bronze-Level sponsors Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Edible Madison, Fromartharie.
Have Fun. Do Good. Eat Cheese. Wisconsin Cheese Originals shares information about Wisconsin artisan cheeses through a variety of events, all in the spirit of celebrating Wisconsin cheesemakers. It also offers an annual $2,500 scholarship to a beginning cheesemaker to help launch new artisanal cheeses. www.wisconsincheeseoriginals.com
Source: Wisconsin Cheese Originals
